The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

Newsletters: The Cornerstone Of Author Marketing With Jason Anspach #IndieSummer | SCC 233

Jason Anspach joins us today to talk about the importance of your author newsletter. If you had nothing at your disposal but a newsletter filled with people that enjoy your work, could you build an indie author business? We'll talk about it with Jason. 
JASON ANSPACH (1979- ) is the award-winning, Associated Press Best-selling author of Galaxy's Edge, Wayward Galaxy, and Forgotten Ruin. He is an American author raised in a military family (Go Army!) known for pulse-pounding military science fiction and adventurous space operas that deftly blend action, suspense, and comedy.
Together with his wife, their seven (not a typo) children, and a border collie named Charlotte, Jason resides in Puyallup, Washington. He remains undefeated at arm wrestling against his entire family.
Galaxy's Edge: www.InTheLegion.com
Author website: www.JasonAnspach.com

Perfect Plots Using The Plot Grid With Claire Fraise | SCC 232

Are you a plotter or a pantser? This is one of the biggest points of debate in the author community. Today we hear from Claire Fraise and get her personal insights into plotting, and how the Plot Grid helps her to envision her stories and keep them on track. 
Claire Fraise is the author of five ghostly thrillers. She won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards and is active on her YouTube channel, where she records videos sharing resources and writing tips that helped her improve as a writer.
Claire graduated with a B.A. in English from Tufts University and now lives in Montana with her fiancé and two dogs. When she’s not sitting behind a computer thinking about murder, you can find her camping in the backcountry, on the back of a horse, or teaching her undersocialized rescue Chihuahua not to bite people.
Visit Dabblewriter.com to sign up for a 15 day free trial and try out the Plot Grid for yourself. 

Plotting Twists and Turns In Suspense Thrillers With Liv Constantine | SCC 231

Liv Constantine is the pseudonym of Lynne Constantine, an Edgar® Award-nominated, New York Times and internationally bestselling author. She is the co-author of The Last Mrs. Parrish, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, and her critically acclaimed books have been praised by the Washington Post, USA Today, the Sunday Times, People magazine, and Good Morning America, among many others, with more than two million copies sold worldwide. Her work has been translated into twenty-nine languages, is available in thirty-four countries, and is in development for both television and film. When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up with her Labrador and golden retriever, reading a good book or binge-watching the latest limited series.

Maintaining A Relationship With Your Readers With Nick Cole #IndieSummer | SCC 230

Nick Cole has built a rabid fan base that eagerly await new releases from him. He and his partner pioneered a successful business plan that allows them to embrace the Amazon ecosystem while also maintaining independence from the corporate world and sell direct to their readers.
Nick Cole is a former soldier and working actor living in Southern California. When he is not auditioning for commercials, going out for sitcoms or being shot, kicked, stabbed or beaten by the students of various film schools for their projects, he can be found writing books.
Nick's Book The Old Man and the Wasteland was an Amazon Bestseller and #1 in Science Fiction. 
In 2016 Nick's book CTRL ALT Revolt won the Dragon Award for Best Apocalyptic novel.
In 2018 Nick and his co-author, Jason Anspach, won the Dragon Award for The Savage Wars. Best MilScfi.
The Galaxy’s Edge Series and the Forgotten Ruin books have sold millions of copies.

Formatting and Page Layout With Josh Hayes #IndieSummer | SCC 229

Josh Hayes continues our #IndieSummer campaign with a chat about formatting and page layout for Indie Authors. Presentation matters, and how you present your work can have a tremendous impact on how people experience your work. 
A retired police officer, Josh Hayes is the author of the Valor Trilogy, the Tranquility series w/ Devon C Ford, Stryker’s War (Galaxy’s Edge), and The Terra Nova Chronicles w/ Richard Fox, along with numerous short stories.
His debut solo novel, Edge of Valor, was a finalist for the 2020 Dragon Award for Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel.
Ever since he watched his first Star Trek episode (TNG not OS), Josh has loved science fiction. Watching it, reading it, and writing it. He grew up a military brat, affording him the opportunity to meet several different types of people, in multiple states and foreign countries. After graduating high school, he joined the United States Air Force and served for six years, before leaving military life to work in law enforcement. During his time with the Wichita Police Department, Josh served as a patrol officer, bicycle unit, community policing officer, and was an assistant bomb technician on the Bomb Squad.
His experiences in both his military life and police life have given him unique glimpses into the lives of people around him and it shows through in the characters he creates. 
Josh is also the creator and president of Keystroke Medium, a popular YouTube show and podcast focused on the craft of writing. For the best author interviews, news, and craft discussion on the internet today, visit www.keystrokemedium.com or subscribe to their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/keystrokemedium. 
When Josh is not writing, he spends his time with his four children and his wife, Jamie. 
You can find out more about Josh and his writing at www.joshhayeswriter.com and join his fan club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/joshhayes

Making Your Book Stand Out With Exceptional Jacket Copy With Doug Landsborough #IndieSummer | SCC 228

This week we turn to jacket copy as we work our way through the #IndieSummer checklist. You've got a great book. Check. You've gotten an eye catching cover. Check. Now let's explore writing that jacket copy that will entice readers to click that buy button on your book.

Covers & Market Research With Jeff Brown #IndieSummer | SCC 227

Jeff Brown has worked as a  science fiction and fantasy illustrator and cover designer since 2013. Jeff has designed covers for Tor, Scholastic, Penguin, Bloomsbury and many more.
He has worked on projects such as Eragon, The Devils, The Three-Body Problem, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Riftwar, The Lies of Locke Lamora, and The Dragonbone Chair.
Jeff has been a Dragon Award finalist in 2023 and 2024 for Best Illustrative Book Cover

Final Edits And Polishing With Michelle Hazen #IndieSummer | SCC 226

Kicking off our #IndieSummer campaign is Michelle Hazen. Michelle Hazen is a nomad with a writing problem. Years ago, she and her husband ducked out of the 9 to 5 world and moved into their truck to become desert tortoise biologists. She found her voice with the support of the online fanfiction community, and once she started typing, she never looked back.
As a result, she has written most of her books in odd places, including a bus in Thailand, an off-the-grid cabin in the Sawtooth Mountains, a golf cart in a sandstorm, a rental car during a heat wave in the Mohave Desert and a beach in Honduras.
These days, she works as a freelance editor and writing coach with Sanctuary Editorial mostly based out of Idaho, but thanks to the wonders of Wi-Fi, she and her husband are still soaking up inspiration while they travel the country and work along the way.
She’s currently addicted to Shadow and Bone, rock climbing, and Tillamook cheese.
Michelle is double-agented, so for rights inquiries for romance, psychological suspense, or for her self-published novels, please contact Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. For fantasy novels and associated rights, contact Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary.
Find her on Instagram at MichelleHazenAuthor, on Facebook at Michelle Hazen, or follow her on Twitter @michellehazen.

A DabbleU Workshop: Using Brain Science to Overcome Writer's Resistance with Monica Hay | SCC 225

Many writers struggle with resistance—procrastination, perfectionism, writer’s block. Instead of writing, you find yourself scrolling social media, cleaning the kitchen, or calling your mom. You listen to a podcast and tell yourself, Hey, this is still productive, but deep down, you wish you were making your own art. Maybe you run an errand—something necessary, but not urgent—knowing you could have written instead. It feels like you're constantly avoiding the page, and you can’t help but wonder, Why is it so hard to just sit down and write?
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And here’s the good news: your resistance isn’t a personal failing! You're not "lazy" or "unmotivated." What you're facing can be explained by brain science. In this workshop, you’ll learn the neuroscience behind resistance and discover simple, effective strategies to overcome it. I’ll introduce you to what I call “write or flight” and show you how to rewire your brain so that resistance stops standing in your way. You'll learn about the different parts of the brain and how to work with them when resistance pops up so you can finally reach your writing goals. The key isn’t willpower: it’s understanding how your brain works and using that knowledge to your advantage.
Monica Hay is a writing coach who helps writers overcome resistance and finish their manuscripts (without getting stuck in revision traps). With a Master’s in Publishing from Portland State University and a Bachelor’s from UC Berkeley, she often jokes that she’s a recovering academic. She has worked at two literary agencies and served as the Director’s Assistant for WriteOnCon, an online children’s publishing conference. Her work has been featured in the Perfect Your Process and Writing Brave summits, as well as on multiple podcasts.
Blending her background in social work and book publishing, Monica focuses on creative recovery and mastering the inner game of writing. She's passionate about helping writers embrace the "mess" of the writing process, and her famous catchphrase is "no mess, no magic." She currently lives in Amsterdam with her husband and two cats.
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Happy writing!

Blending Time-Tested Authors With New Genres With Claudia Gray | SCC 224

Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent. She is the author of the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mysteries, which began with The Murder of Mr. Wickham. She is also the writer of multiple young adult novels, including the Evernight series, the Firebird trilogy, and the Constellation trilogy. In addition, she’s written several Star Wars novels, such as Lost Stars and Bloodline She and her husband, Paul, live in Turin, Italy, under the benevolent rule of a small dog named Peaches.
The fourth book in New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray's Jane Austen sequel series, THE RUSHWORTH FAMILY PLOT finds amateur sleuths Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney caught up in the whirlwind of the London Season—and in a murderous scheme involving the family of Edmund and Fanny Bertram
Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney understand each other perfectly; it's a pity their families do not. A series of misunderstandings, misplaced pride, and—indeed—prejudice, has led their parents to deem the pair unsuited to wed. Now, with the Season approaching, Juliet's grandfather, General Tilney, has sent her to London with a new wardrobe and orders to prove herself worthy of someone better than the snobby Darcys. Meanwhile, Jonathan has been forced to accept an invitation to stay in town with old friends Edmund and Fanny Bertram at the house of Edmund's brother, Sir Thomas. Oblivious to and undesiring of female attention outside of Juliet's, Jonathan is at risk of being ensnared by Caroline Bingley's previously rebuffed plans to make herself—or her daughter—mistress of Pemberley.
But when Mr. Rushworth, the former husband of Edmund's sister Maria, is discovered dead in his home, Jonathan and Juliet find themselves with problems far weightier than the marriage market. In one of the greatest scandals of its day, Maria abandoned her new husband in favor of the notorious rake Henry Crawford, and when he wouldn't marry her, was forced to flee to the continent in disgrace. Now Maria is back, accompanied by a daughter she claims Mr. Rushworth fathered after their divorce—and who he wrote into his will just before his death. To spare Edmund and Fanny further social shame, Jonathan and Juliet must unmask a killer before the drama surrounding the Rushworth family fortune claims another victim.